inspecting nesting hollow ANBG
This is a still from a video, which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqDkD5Zq1G4
This 'in copula' pair flew in and landed on low vegetation (see shot #2 in series), with the male's body encircling (and concealing) the tiny female. The remaining photos show them separating. Moments later he flew off and she climbed down the stem and disappeared among the leaf litter. This was immediately alongside a sandy patch of ground where various crabronid wasps and bees are nesting.
This is a small species ... I estimate the female as less than 5mm long.
Originally I had no idea what this was. I thought it was a cordyceps as it has erupted from the body of a katydid or grasshopper. Someone has suggested pin mold, another has suggested slime mold.
Found positioned on a decaying log in subtropical rainforest next to a creek. We have recently had lots of rain and high humidity.
Via a cordyceps identification page on Facebook, Nigel Hywel-Jones commented "It is indeed spectacular, and rare. In 35+ years and over 20,000 collections in 12 countries I have found it once. On an adult moth. That is how rare it is. It is in the genus Sporodiniella and is a Zygomycete. It looks similar to Sporodiniella umbellata."
So I have now listed it as such.
Sound recording is of the individual with one broken antenna but both males were calling initially within 1m of each other.
First sign of epicormic growth on Bangalay trees after fire on 31/12/2019. Trees located near creek line.
Unknown frog in scorched shrub near water station adjoining burnt property.